The World Needs More Desch
by Kaarina Helvete
Summary: Desch didn't have enough screentime. So here's a fic all about him and what goes on and his funny little head! Desch/Salina, though Desch does like to tell people they're pretty. He tells it like it is! FF3DS, Final Fantasy 3DS
1. Chapter 1

**Desch didn't have enough screentime. So here's a fic all about him and what goes on and his funny little head!**

* * *

The first thing he remembered was the village.

Well, the second thing. The first thing he remembered was his name, even if he didn't fully understand what a "name" was. So there he was outside the village, muttering his name to himself over and over, as if it might help with fog inside his head clear and let him remember what the names for things were. He saw the colors, but didn't know what they were called. He felt the wind, but didn't know where it came from. He stumbled as the sole of his shoe ripped, and when he caught himself he blinked at it, wondering how that happened and what it was. Everything seemed _horribly_ familiar, but he didn't know why. He didn't know anything! Pictures flashed and swirled in his mind, still obscured by some weird fog, and he just couldn't think a single clear thought except for his name.

Desch. Desch, Desch, Desch…?

"Hello?"

He blinked. That was-a greeting! He looked up at the girl who had addressed him, eyes wide with curiosity. She spoke again, concerned. "Are you lost, sir?"

She was pretty. He liked looking at her. Her hair was… yellow! Wait, she had asked him a question. Was he lost?

"I don't know!" Yep, that was true. He didn't know a _lot_ of things.

The girl tilted her head inquisitively. "You don't know? Do you know where you are?" When Desch shook his head, she giggled. "You're in Canaan! Do you have a map?" He shook his head again, wondering what a 'map' was. "Well that's no good. You'll get lost! I have one at my house that you can borrow. What's your name?"

Desch perked up at that. "Desch!" He smiled widely, finally being able to say something he _knew._

The girl giggled again. "I'm Salina."

"You're pretty." He said it without thinking. Because, well, he wasn't really.

Salina's eyes shot open and she blushed, hiding behind one hand. She looked away, embarrassed. "Y-You are, too." She sounded hesitant, but also amused.

Desch looked down at himself. "I am?" Salina huffed at him and grabbed his hand, pulling him along to go meet her mother.

#

The longer he spent with Salina, the more he remembered how to do. He remembered the name for the trees, the grass, a ship on the sea, books, his boots-he remembered all of them after a while. One thing he _wasn't_ expecting was to remember magic.

He was sitting with Salina outside the village, just talking, and he got excited about _something-_ whatever it was,he didn't remember-and he started twirling around in the sun and the wind, just enjoying himself, and he yelled about how much he _loved_ something, and spun around in a circle, and before he knew it he was in the air. Salina yelled in alarm, and he fell back onto his feet and tripped and fell onto his rear, blinking in confusion. He'd cast Aero by accident.

And once he realized _that_ was something he knew how to do, he was all over it. He tried every spell he could get his hands on-out away from the village, of course. A great many of them he was unable to learn very well, but two of them seemed inherent to him. He must have known Thundara and Aero before he'd lost his memory. He didn't remember ever _using_ these skills, but he could do them nonetheless. It was maddening.

And all the while, there was that nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he'd forgotten something very, _very_ important.

One day Salina showed him a pair of earrings. They'd been given to her, but they were much to flashy for her to wear, she said. They fit Desch just _perfectly_ , however.

"Look, you're so handsome!" She showed him her hand mirror, beaming from behind it.

Desch looked at himself. They were quite flashy. He _loved_ them. He beamed back at her. "I'll wear them until the day I die."

"Hopefully that will be in a _very_ long time. Now help me with this!" She was fixated on finding him more handsome clothes to wear. He loved the attention. He loved her. He loved _everything!_ He'd forgive her for trying to replace the robes she found him in with other clothes if it meant she'd continue to fawn over him.

He loved the life he had right then. Part of him didn't want to remember the life he'd forgotten, because it gave him such a bad feeling.

#

Salina looked hesitant. This should be funny. She always made things much more serious than they had to be. "Desch, do you know what a boyfriend is?"

He bit the inside of his lips in concentration. After a few seconds, nothing came to him. "Nope!"

Salina looked like she might try to explain, so he continued, placing a thumb and forefinger on his chin. "But if I were to guess, it has something to do with a boy who is also a friend?" He grinned when she hit him on the arm.

"I'm serious! I… want you to be mine," she blushed. "My boyfriend."

"I'm not already?" Desch smiled for once, with genuine care.

Salina blinked, blushing even harder. "W-Well, that means that you can't go to other girls and act like they're yours! You only get me. And… I only get you. That's what it means."

So that's what she wanted. Why hadn't she just said so? "Well, that doesn't sound too bad."

Salina huffed, frustrated. "Not too bad!?"

Desch chuckled, and took her hands in his. "It sounds perfect." It really did. He loved her, why wouldn't he want her all to himself!? He was surprised he hadn't thought to ask first. He supposed he hadn't even known that was a thing. He wouldn't want to infringe upon her freedom, either. Not unless she wanted to.

It looked like she really did. She was caught off guard by his sudden honesty, and her mouth dropped open. "Really?"

Desch nodded. He had no doubt in his mind. Salina threw her arms around him, and he lifted her off the ground, grinning. Then she kissed him.

Well. That was something he'd never experienced before.

#

It was one of those things he didn't get any old feelings from, so he was sure that he'd never experienced it before. But he did get _new_ feelings. Every time he kissed Salina, he felt like it brought them closer somehow. He felt a pull inside his chest, almost like it hurt. This was a whole new level of love that he'd definitely never experienced before. He never wanted to leave, never wanted to let her go.

But, there was still that feeling…

It got louder every day. Soon, Salina noticed. "Desch? What's wrong?"

He frowned out into the field, his eyes not focused on anything. "I feel like…. I've forgotten something really, really important."

Salina went and sat next to him. "Like what? Do you mean… your family?"

Desch squinted in concentration. "I don't know… It's just this nagging feeling that I should be doing something. I don't know what, though. It seems really important."

Salina took his hand. "You'll remember someday. Don't give up!"

Desch looked at her, worried. "But.. what if it _is_ really important?"

Salina frowned, sadly. "Do you… want to remember?"

Desch felt the wrestling match in his head over what he should be doing. These days, it never seemed to cool it. But now he felt like one side might win. He nodded. "I do."

Salina bit her lip, holding his hand tighter. "What if… when you remember everything… you don't want to be here anymore?"

Desch frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

"What if you find out where your home is? And you go home? I… don't want you to leave." She looked away before he could see her tears.

Desch blinked. What? "You think I would just leave you?"

Salina sniffed. "I don't know…"

Desch held her hand firmly. "Salina, if I ever remember my home, my life before… I promise I won't just leave. I love you."

Salina sniffed again, still not looking at him. "You don't even know what that means."

"It means I want to spend the rest of my life with you, no matter what I remember."

Salina turned her head slowly, eyes widened in disbelief, tears threatening to fall. Desch looked her straight in the eyes. "I always come back. Don't I?"

Salina bit her lip, then nodded. Desch took her in his arms and held her, rocking back and forth. "I'll always come back, I promise."

#

He'd been waiting for Salina to meet him outside the village so he could show her something cool he'd found. He'd eventually decided to rent his own room at the inn because the townspeople started gossiping about him and Salina, saying that a couple should never live together unless they were married, that he'd "corrupt" her after a while. It was all nonsense, of course. He was pure as the sun! But that didn't keep them from thinking disreputable things about him. He'd rather just make things easier for Salina and live apart.

So they met every morning and did whatever they wanted to. Today Desch was going to show her a hill he'd found with all different kinds of flowers growing. He'd waited for a few minutes, just enjoying the breeze when something caught his gaze. And that nagging feeling exploded in his head.

It was nothing he hadn't looked at before. He'd just looked a different way, and suddenly it looked familiar somehow. Had that possibly… been the way he'd wandered from?

He stepped forward and didn't stop.

#

Salina waited. And _waited._ How much longer was he going to make her wait? Was he still asleep, she wondered? She huffed, and went off to the inn to check.

He wasn't there. He'd left early in the morning. He did like to watch the sunrise. She frowned. Where had he gone, then? She checked around the village to see if he'd gotten sidetracked planning some elaborate and romantic scheme. She smiled to herself. She'd forgive him then.

After checking the _entire_ village, though, he was nowhere to be found. "Where in the _world_ have you gone?" She huffed. She made herself busy so she wouldn't think about it. If he was off with some other girl, she'd have his hide.

But… she'd checked the whole village. Nobody had seen him. The frowned, getting a little worried. If he wasn't in the village, then where was he?

She finally got her answer after half a day of worrying herself to death. She finally saw his bright hair in the distance, walking back and carrying something. She fumed, and placed her hands on her hips. "Desch!"

He lifted his head, and yelled a muted 'Salina!' before picking up the pace. He jogged through the tall grass and made it up to her, panting lightly. Salina didn't give him a chance to say anything carefree. "Where were you!?"

She had forgotten. He was _always_ carefree. He wasn't even phased by her anger. "Monsters!"

Salina blinked and her jaw dropped. "W-What about them?"

Desch panted again, holding up the small bag of gold he'd collected. "I fought them!"

Salina was outraged. "Fought them!? That's dangerous! Why were you out there in the first place?"

Desch looked ashamed. She went on. "I was worried! If I knew where you were, I'd have been _more_ worried! Why did you just leave?"

Desch looked at the ground. "I'm sorry… I just… got a feeling." He looked up with determination. "I had to check it out!"

Salina was still angry, but… not as much. It was hard to stay angry with him. "Well… What did you find?"

Desch deflated again. "I… followed it. But after a while, I lost it."

Salina didn't understand. "Lost what?"

"The feeling. Familiarity. It was there, but then it was gone. I don't know where it went."

He looked heartbroken. She just couldn't stay angry with him, especially with a reason like _that._ He hadn't just left her for no reason, then. He would never do that. "I'm sorry… But why did you just go? You couldn't even leave a note for me? I looked everywhere for you!"

Desch blinked. "... That's a good idea."

Salina huffed. "And don't just run off by yourself. It's dangerous!"

Desch smirked again. "Come on, I wasn't in any danger. Those goblins were nothing to me!"

He blocked a hit and laughed. She tried to explain how she was serious, and he promised to never do anything he couldn't handle. And he would always come back, no matter what. Then he told her he still had that hill to show her.

#

He promised that he'd never just leave, never again.

So, he left a note.

 _Dear Salina,_

 _I know, you're gonna be angry. But it happened again! I looked at the mountain off in the distance, and I just had to go there! I'll be back as soon as I can, okay? I promise I'll come back._

 _I love you more than anything._

 _Desch_

He hoped that would be enough to keep her from throttling him to death when he came back. It probably wouldn't be, but he'd get to that when it came. In the meantime, he quickly bought a few provisions with his goblin-killing money, and set off before the feeling went away again.

#

It took a good few days to actually reach the mountain. It seemed much closer than that, but the ground just stretched on and on, and the mountain seemed to always be moving away from him. But my the morning of the third day, he noticed that it was much bigger. Only a little longer!

He still didn't get any hints as to where he'd come from. It was still just that nagging, _nagging_ feeling taking over his mind and propelling him forward. He hoped that he would at least be able to see far once he reached the top, and he could go from there. The monsters near the mountain were vicious, and he really had to work hard to not get eaten alive. By the time he reached the mountain he'd lost all of his extra food and his tent, and he'd regretted ever leaving Canaan.

But he was determined! He'd already gotten this far, and if he was going to die out in the wilderness he wanted to at least know where he came from, first! So he set up the mountain, slipping on rocks and sand and hiding from monsters. If ever he was found, he used as strong an Aero spell as he could muster to blow them off the cliff. He felt a little bad for the ones that couldn't fly, but his guilt quickly dissipated when he heard a great roar above him.

So. That's why they call it Dragon's Peak.

#

Desch sat very, very still as the shrieks around him continued. From what he could tell, the giant dragon-bird-thing had grabbed him and dropped him off, then went looking for more food for her babies. Well, he was _not_ interested in being bird food! So all he had to do was _stay calm_ and find a way out without being pecked to death by these… weird baby things.

After a while of sitting there trying not to make any sudden movements, he realized they really were just babies, and they probably didn't know _how_ to eat him. So he stood up and looked around a bit. The mother was nowhere to be found… did that mean he could escape!? He looked around the nest desperately. It looked like he could get down onto a ledge below and climb down without too much trouble, but… he was on the other side of the mountain than Canaan. How was he going to get back around? And how would he go unnoticed by the dragon? This was all starting to sound like a huge mistake.

As Desch considered climbing down and finding his way all the way back around somehow, he heard the dragon's roar again. He scrambled back into the grass and twigs of the nest, hoping they wouldn't find him again, and before he knew it he heard yelling. Yelling? People? He peeked out from under the twigs and saw the dragon coming back to either drop off more prey, or to feed. He curled into a tight little ball, praying to all the gods he could remember.

Either luck was on his side, or the gods answered his pleas. The dragon was simply dropping off more unfortunate souls. He poked his head out after hearing a few rough thumps and cries of pain. They looked like… kids? Younger kids. How had _they_ been captured? And then he realized, they were people, and he'd been starved from human contact for three days. He laughed, almost hysterically. "I can't believe you guys managed to get yourselves caught by that dragon!"

One of the boys brushed himself off, glaring at Desch. "You're one to laugh! It got you too, didn't it?"

Desch rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Hah, you got me. The name's Desch. Nice to meet you all." He smiled. It really was nice. He didn't think it could get any nicer, and that his luck was bound to run out, right about then.

And sure enough, the fricking dragon came back! The only reason he didn't jump out of his skin like the other four was that he'd heard it so many times already. "The dragon's back, let's get out of here!" When he turned to run and climb out of the nest, the two girls were already halfway out. The boys, however, looked like they might try to be heroic and fight. "Don't even think about fighting that thing! Listen to me and just run, run away!" He bounded over the side and hoped he could catch himself on the narrow ledge without tumbling over the cliff. That would be quite a way to die.

They all managed to get to the bottom of the cliff without too many injuries, all whilst hiding under ledges and in cracks in the rock. Either the dragon was too stupid to know how to find them, or it was too preoccupied with finding easy prey for its babies. Either way, Desch was _very_ thankful to be alive when they got to the bottom.

"Phew!" he exclaimed. "I'm glad we got out of that!" He turned to the others, who were still wary of the dragon.

The silver-haired boy who'd admonished him earlier raised an eyebrow. "Why were you just hanging out up there? When the dragon left to go pick up more food, namely _us_ , you could have escaped!"

Desch chuckled sheepishly. "Well, I didn't think my chances alone were that great, so I hid!"

The blond boy raised his eyebrow this time, and the silver-haired one snickered. Desch pouted. "Hey, you try being out here alone for three days, and suddenly getting nabbed by a dragon!"

One of the girls reeled on him then. "You said your name was Desch?"

Oh no. She looked like she might hit him. "Um, yes?"

The girl went on. "Salina has been worried sick about you! What the heck have you been doing out here?"

Desch's stomach plummeted. "Salina? Is she okay?"

"No? She's so heartbroken, she won't get out of bed, you weasel!"

Desch felt actual pain in his chest, like someone had punched him. Why did that hurt? "I-I, didn't mean to-"

"Okay, okay Refia, there's nothing we can do now! What's done is done. And we've gotta figure out a way back around."

The silver-haired boy saved him from the wrath of the girl called Refia. It didn't make the pain in his chest go away, though. He'd hurt Salina… He'd have to make it up to her. But how? He looked up at the mountain. "There's no way we're climbing up this side again."

"No, it looks like we'll have to go around on foot. And it's not a short distance." The blond boy nodded towards the mountain range to the south.

Mountain range…? "Wait… There's no way through that?"

The quiet girl spoke, finally. "Probably not, and the monsters that inhabit those kinds of places are too dangerous. There's no way we'd get through."

The silver-haired one ran his hand through his hair, sighing. "It looks like we'll be exploring a lot, then." He looked back to Desch. "You're trying to get back home to Canaan? You should probably stick with us until you can find a caravan, or something."

Desch frowned. "Yeah… Sorry, I don't mean to put you out."

Refia deadpanned at him. "You probably need all the help you can get. You don't have any supplies, do you?"

"No," Desch whimpered. "How did you manage to hold onto your things when that dragon grabbed you?"

"Very carefully!" The silver-haired boy exclaimed. "My followers have learned to take very good care of their things. They won't get replacements!"

The blond snorted at him. "Only because you insist on handling the money."

"Hey, I keep it safe!" he laughed. He turned back to Desch. "So, your name is Desch. I'm Luneth. Pleased to meet you." He bowed in a rather frivolous manner. Desch liked this kid. "This here is Ingus, my right hand," to which Ingus deadpanned at Luneth, and bowed slightly to Desch. "This is Refia, our expert in more covert operations, and this is Arc. He's been my best friend since we were born," he grinned.

Desch blinked at the brown-haired… boy? "You're a boy?"

Arc blushed, and frowned deeply. "Yes?"

Desch also blushed, from embarrassment. He put a hand over his heart and bowed his head. "My apologies!"

Arc continued to blush indignantly as Luneth grinned, and muttered under his breath, "Six."

Arc reeled on him. "Luneth!"

"Sorry!" he laughed. "I'll quit counting if you _really_ hate it." Arc grumbled, but didn't say anything to make him stop.

Desch surveyed them again. "What are four teenagers doing out in the wilderness, fighting monsters and running from dragons?"

Luneth lit up at that. "We're the Warriors of Light! We're on a quest to stop the darkness from swallowing everything." He nodded for emphasis.

Desch blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah! Go figure," Luneth shrugged. "I fell into a hole, and the Wind crystal told me to go fight the darkness. Seems like a pretty important task to me. So I went right away!"

"Hey, you forgot to mention how we're _all_ chosen, and not just you?" Refia folded her arms, annoyed. Luneth chuckled, sheepishly.

Desch looked at them. They'd made it this far, and they didn't even look scared! "Wow… You guys look like you know what you're doing."

"Yep! I'm a pretty great leader, right?" Luneth beamed at his companions. All three of them shook their heads at him. He wasn't phased.

Desch hesitated. "... Can I go with you?"

Luneth turned back to him, questioningly. "Huh? You mean… on our quest?"

Desch backpedaled a little. "I-I mean, just travel with you, wherever you might go!" He sighed. "You see… I went to Dragon's Peak because… I lost my memory."

Luneth raised his eyebrows slightly. He didn't even look that surprised, as if that was something he had seen before. "You don't know how you lost it?"

Desch shook his head. "My first memory is of meeting Salina in Canaan. Before that… there's nothing. I get feelings when I see something familiar, but nothing concrete. So when I felt something familiar about the mountain, I went right for it, you know?"

Luneth placed his thumb and forefinger under his chin, thinking. "That does seem like the most logical route to go." He smacked his fist into his other palm. "Alright, you can come with us, and then you'll see more of the world! Then, if you see something familiar, maybe you'll remember everything!"

Desch beamed. "Really? You'll let me?"

"The more, the merrier. Now, do you have any skills? Or are we gonna have to protect you the whole time?" Luneth squinted at him.

Desch had never been more proud of himself in his life. "Is this skill enough for you?" He put both his hands out in front of him, and a strong burst of lightning cracked between his palms.

Luneth jumped. "Whoa! That's pretty cool! Hey Arc, you don't know that, yet!"

Arc stood with his mouth agape. Luneth laughed. "You know any other spells you can teach us?"

Desch laughed. "Only Aero. Magic and losing your memory don't go very well together." Then he remembered, he had a few spells tucked into his hip pouch. He hoped they hadn't fallen out-! "Wait a second-here!" He pulled out the spell for… Mini. Oh. "Uh… I have one other. I hope it finds use in your hands rather than mine."

Luneth took it. "Huh. That _might_ be useful. Anyway, we should get going before the dragon decides to look for food way down here. Onward!"

Desch followed the party, trailing along behind. Everything was turning out much better than he thought it would.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay how do they end up on the Tozas peninsula by just jumping off Dragon's Peak? That's dumb. So I moved the mountain range, that's why Desch couldn't just go back to Canaan. Yeah! Probably only one more chapter after this, we'll see.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

They decided to just follow the mountain range south until they found a way around. From what Desch could tell, these four Light Warriors simply looked for trouble, and ended it. Their quest was vague; 'stop the darkness'? He could only guess there was some kind of dark magic going on somewhere they they all had to stop. That sounded pretty important to him, and he was glad to follow them around and help them out. Plus, they were _great_ fighters. He was learning a lot from them, like how to not panic when a giant man-eating lion jumped out of the trees and tried to eat his face.

Luneth called back to him. "Anything look familiar, yet?"

Desch sighed. "I've probably never been on this side of the mountains in my whole life. Nothing familiar."

Luneth blew hot air out his nose. "We'll find something eventually." He turned to Ingus. "Hey… Is it just me, or does that range go all the way back out to the ocean?" He deadpanned at his 'right hand'.

Ingus examined the horizon, looking out over the distant treetops. "You… could be right."

Luneth let out an exasperated breath. "How are we gonna get around, then!? _Do_ we have to climb?"

"Not if you can visit Tozus, the village of gnomes!" A small voice assaulted his eardrums.

Luneth jumped, and turned towards the voice. A small… person… was standing there, looking up at him with wide, expectant eyes. He was fully grown proportionally, but he looked the size of a newborn human baby. And his voice was much higher pitched, like a child's. Desch made an inference! "Are you a gnome?"

The small person nodded. "I came to take some of the strange water back to the gnomish village in the southern woods. Only gnomes, and gnome-sized creatures can enter the village."

Luneth drew his eyebrows together, thinking. "So… How does this help us get across the mountains?"

The gnome jumped in excitement. "You go under it! There are small tunnels you can go through to get to the other side!"

Refia whooped. "We'll be back in no time if we can cut across. Will a Mini spell work on us, you think?"

"It should, yes!" The gnome smiled, happy to have helped.

Desch knelt down and offered a finger to the gnome. "Thank you, little one! Hopefully we'll see you there soon."

The gnome took Desch's finger in one of his tiny hands, shook it, and ran off with his tiny bucket of 'strange water'. Ingus watched him run, quirking an eyebrow. "Well. Now we know what to do."

Luneth grinned at Desch. "It looks like that Mini spell you gave us _will_ come in handy! So, Arc. You think you can handle it?"

Arc blinked, nervously. "Um… I don't know… I looked at it before, and it's white magic. I've… never tried that before."

Luneth looked expectant. "But, you can do it, right?"

Arc looked at the ground. "You already know I can't heal…"

Luneth nodded. "Right, okay. What about you, Desch?"

Desch blinked. "Me? Do you really want _me_ of all people trying out new spells on your face?" He raised an eyebrow and smirked.

Luneth grimaced. "No, maybe not."

He looked at Refia, who shook her head. "Hey, don't look at me, I've never done magic in my life!"

Luneth frowned, frustrated. "Well, we all know how it turned out for me, so it can't be me. But _somebody_ has to do it!"

There was a moment of silence before a sigh cut through from behind. "I'll do it," Ingus said.

Luneth reeled around. "You? You've never done magic, either!"

Ingus scowled. "I've… dabbled. In both. I'm the best suited that we have for the job."

Luneth's eyebrows raised, almost incredulously. "Well… Sure, I guess. Knock yourself out. No wait, don't do that. I'm not carrying you. Onward, everyone! To Tozas!" Luneth led on once again as Ingus smirked behind him. Arc trotted up and handed him the small scroll for the spell, and offered to help him if he needed it. Ingus nodded, saying that would be much appreciated.

Desch just watched, smiling. It was heartwarming to see people getting along, working together towards a common goal. He was going to write a book about them, one day. He was sure they could go as far as the edge of the world itself, if they wanted.

#

Eventually, Ingus got the Mini spell under his fingers. Luneth had pestered him to no end, and it was with a satisfied smirk that Ingus hit him with the spell first.

"Okay, you've had your fun!" Luneth yelled in his tiny voice while the others snickered at him. "It's your turn, now!"

Ingus turned them all into miniature versions of themselves. "While we're this size, I think it would be wise for us all to learn a spell or two."

Luneth snickered. "Your voice is great!"

Ingus glared at him and told him to get serious, but that just set him off even harder. Desch sighed. "Okay, we all sound weird. Let's just get it all out now while we aren't being attacked."

Then he laughed at his own voice. It was ridiculous!

#

They made their way through Tozas, learned about Vikings Cove and their Enterprise, and Luneth decided to go fight the Nepto Dragon to get the ship.

Needless to say, it wasn't a very good idea. The dragon was much too strong for them, and Luneth had probably known that. They went to the Nepto Temple after that.

Ingus suggested that instead of attacking the dragon head on, they should go to the temple that was named after it to see if they could find out the meaning behind the dragon's attacks. Desch was just all too happy to follow along. He never would have thought of that!

"Hey Desch," Refia asked while they were headed towards the temple. "You're a mage, right? Why do you use a sword?"

Desch chuckled. "Well, I'm not very great at spells, as I'm sure you've noticed. I need a different way to fight if my spells fail me. Also, it looks cool!" He waved his sword around and made whooshing noises while Refia laughed.

"Well, I think you're great at both. You may not be a master of both, but at least you can do both! I want to be able to do magic, too."

"Ooh, what kind?" Desch asked, excited.

"I'd like to heal. I can already destroy stuff with my fists!"

Desch chuckled. "I'm not the one to ask, then."

"Maybe if you're really nice, Ingus will help you." Luneth made kissing noises at her, and Refia threatened to throw a book at him. At this point, Desch was almost sure Ingus would rather kiss _Luneth_ than risk Refia's wrath.

After a little while longer, they arrived at the temple. When they went inside, Ingus reveled in showing Luneth that the only way to get inside was to be miniaturized again.

The entire temple was small, so they couldn't go back to their normal sizes to fight. Luneth and Refia had to make do with throwing things at their opponents while Arc, Desch, and sometimes Ingus threw spells. Luneth agreed to try magic once again after they got out of there. They finally got through the temple, only to find a giant rat that was hoarding the Nepto Dragon's eye, which was why the dragon was attacking everything. When they gave the eye back, the dragon went back to sleep, after blessing them with the Fang of Water.

"And you wanted to kill it!" Refia yelled at Luneth. Luneth grinned sheepishly. He played with the 'fang' he received from the Nepto Dragon, wondering aloud what was so great about it.

"The dragon said it will help us overcome new challenges, so be careful with it!" Refia scolded him. "I don't know who voted to make you the leader, because it _sure_ wasn't me."

"Silly Refia, leaders aren't voted for! I was _born_ for this."

Ingus sighed impatiently. "If we could get moving, I'm sure we can argue about this on the road. We have a ship to claim."

Luneth gasped. "I forgot, we can take their ship now! You think they'll give it to us, even though we didn't kill the dragon?"

Desch chuckled. "I think _not_ killing it, and still succeeding in subduing its wrath is even more impressive."

"Well yeah, but we have to care about what the _vikings_ think, not what _you_ believe." Ingus growled at him to move along. "Alright, alright, onward! To Vikings Cove!"

And with that, they had a ship. Desch could go back home. But… He couldn't really, could he?

Luneth made well on his promise to let Desch tag along, and even agreed to a side trip back to Canaan. He could see Salina again… and make sure she was okay before he left again. He felt terrible, but this was his chance to look for his past. He'd already learned so many new things just by exploring the area south of Canaan. He wondered how much he could learn when he saw the whole _world_.

He ran through the conversation with Salina over and over in his head, thinking of everything she could say. He really hoped she was okay.

#

She slapped him, after running outside and yelling his name.

He supposed he should have expected that. He expected the yelling, and even the crying-though expecting it didn't make it any easier to see the one he loved in pain. That pain came back, the one in his chest that felt like someone had shoved their fist through him. That was the pain that he felt when he knew he had hurt her.

There was that, and he hadn't seen her for over two weeks, and he wasn't sure he wanted to leave again. Now that he was back, and he knew the pain he would feel if he left… he didn't want to. But he had to. He forced himself to say the words.

"You… want to leave again?" Salina sniffed, not believing her ears.

Desch nodded, trying to look serious and determined. "If I don't go with them, I'll regret it the rest of my life. I have to know I tried everything."

Salina sniffed again, looking down at the ground. "You promise… to come back?"

Desch raised his eyebrows. Was that even a question? "Of course. I always come back." He smiled, hesitant. "Will you be okay?"

Salina sniffed again, then nodded, looking back up at him. "I'll be okay. I'll wait for you every day, even if it takes an eternity."

Desch chuckled nervously. "Hopefully it won't take _that_ long!" He look Salina's hands in his and held them to his chest. "I'll think of you every day. I love you, Salina."

Salina broke down and cried again, and Desch held her until she pushed him off of her and told him to go have fun. He promised again to hurry back as soon as he remembered everything.

He hoped dearly that he'd be able to keep that promise.

#

They sailed across the sea after that, and found a small village called Tokkul. It had supposedly been besieged by soldiers wearing the seal of Castle Argus-curious, because Desch was _certain_ that at least until recently King Argus was a good man. He also knew the secret of airship engines!

They went to the castle to find some answers, but nobody was home, which was a 'very unwise strategic decision' as Ingus had put it. Nobody knew where the Argus soldiers were. That was no good, so they decided to wander the land until they found something!

Someone in Tokkul said the people in a village far to the west claimed to be descendants of the Ancients, and Arc suggested finding the villages to see if they could help them with their quest to find all four crystals. Unfortunately, they couldn't help the poor people of Tokkul until they found out where Argus' men were.

They traveled for an ungodly amount of time (though it could have been that Desch only had a few months of memory to go off of as a frame of reference) and found a great many interesting things on the way west. Arc was becoming a very capable black mage. Desch was convinced Refia could pick any lock she laid eyes on. Ingus liked to switch back and forth between a red mage and a warrior, and was becoming skilled in both. Luneth was still Luneth, albeit a bit more dextrous than before. And Desch himself was, in fact, an expert in lightning magic. He could swing a sword, too! He'd had Ingus give him some pointers, and he was not ashamed to admit it.

So they found the village. It was anticlimactic and rather hard to miss. They walked up the steps of packed earth and into the village, and Desch blinked.

The smells… the sounds… The grass and the trees and the small buildings that all suddenly seemed _so familiar-_ he stopped and stared, his eyes wide.

Luneth noticed that Desch wasn't following anymore, and turned towards him. "Desch? What's up?"

"This is familiar."

Refia gasped. "Really? Do you remember anything?"

Desch frowned. He didn't really _remember_ anything in particular, but there were feelings he was getting that he'd never felt before. "Not remember… but I've definitely been here before. That, and all this talk about light and darkness…" He hadn't noticed it at first, but after Luneth had explained the party's objective Desch had felt drawn to them somehow. He'd thought it was just out of curiosity or want for adventure, but now he was beginning to think it had something to do with his past.

"Let's keep asking around," said Ingus. "Maybe somebody here knows you."

So that's what they did. Unfortunately, nobody had ever seen Desch before. That didn't explain how the village was so familiar to him, though! He tried to stand quietly and listen to the people explain about the crystals to the four warriors. They explained that they were the children of the Ancients, a once great civilization. Long ago, the Ancients had arrogantly attempted to harness the power of light, and in turn unleashed a destructive force that threatened to destroy the world. Luckily, four warriors emerged from the world of darkness and stopped it. But now darkness has emerged, and the world must wait for four warriors of light to emerge.

It took Ingus' quick thinking to grab Luneth and keep him from yelling and boasting to the old man that _they_ were the warriors. Desch felt that credit was due, but maybe not here. The descendants of the Ancients seemed to be far removed from the world, and they didn't like getting involved in these things. They went about gathering more information, more discreetly than Luneth would have liked.

They didn't find out much else, other than there was a group of people called Gulgans who were born sightless, but had the power of clairvoyance! They _definitely_ had to visit these people. But first, Luneth was perplexed and confused by a man spouting nonsense about how the continent they lived on was actually _floating._

"What? No way," Luneth said.

"It sounds like nonsense, doesn't it? But it's true. The Tower of Owen is a Pillar-the pillar that supports our continent, built by the Ancients to bring balance to light and darkness."

Now _that_ was interesting. From what Desch could gather, after the Ancients unleashed that terrible power of light, they sought to make it right by creating the Tower. Their penance was to live by the land, and to guard the tower from any danger. Without the Tower, the floating continent would fly away from the earth below. Desch hated to think about what that would do to the people living here.

After they finished at the Village of the Ancients, they headed off north again towards the hidden Gulgan Gulch. Desch couldn't shake the feeling he got from the village, though. There was something about it, but he just couldn't figure it out. He was anxious to see what the Gulgans said about him, if they said anything. They had the power of foresight, but could they tell him his past?

But then again, if he'd forgotten to do something really important, they could at least give him a hint of what will happen if he _doesn't_ do it, right?

He sighed audibly. He probably wasn't important enough to warrant having visions about him.

"Hey," Refia came up beside him. "You're looking down. What's wrong?"

Desch raised his eyebrows. "Uh, nothing?" When Refia prodded him more, he relented. "I'm just anxious! I feel like I really hit on something important at that village, but I can't remember a single thing. I wonder if… I'll _ever_ recover what I lost."

Refia pursed her lips, then slapped him on the arm. Desch yelped, and rubbed the tingling spot. "What was that for!?"

Refia grinned. "You're it!" Then she ran off down the road.

Desch stared, then saw Luneth howling with laughter some ways away whole Arc and Ingus shook their heads. They'd seen it coming. He glared, pouting. "You know, I've got the longer legs! I can catch you whenever I want!" He took off after the other two.

"Bring it!" Luneth yelled. "I'm ten times faster than you, old man!"

Desch guffawed as he ran. "Old man!?"

"Well how old _are_ you?" Refia yelled back at him.

"I… I don't know that! But I'm not _that_ old!"

They taunted him some more, and Desch actually managed to catch up with them at one point, and tag Luneth. Refia still evaded him, unfortunately. Somehow it got his mind off of the past, and the feeling of doom he felt in his future.

#

How long had they been on the road? Desch felt like he knew these four youths just as well as he knew Salina back home, he'd been with them so long. The ship made traveling faster, but they still had to dock sometimes to stretch their legs and resupply. Not to mention, sleeping in a real bed was a plus whenever they came close to a town.

Every day felt like an eternity, but once it was over it felt like no time had passed. Had they really been traveling for two months? The days blurred together. A month felt like the entirety of his life put together, and also no time at all. Would he ever be able to comprehend what a 'year' was?

It wasn't difficult to find the valley by looking at the mountain ranges, but it took some looking to find the gulch. It took looking, and Luneth almost falling into a crevasse again. That boy really needed to be more careful around ledges, Desch thought. They found a cave entrance shortly after, and made their way inside.

The way was pitch black, and they only found some light when they emerged into a larger cavern with a crack in the ceiling. Luneth carried the torch just in case, looking carefully around him for any sign of movement.

"It isn't often we get visitors."

Luneth jumped, and Desch actually yelped. Hey, just because they knew people were there didn't mean he knew where they were all the time! He forced out a reply. "Um, hello! We're looking for the Gulgans."

"You are in Gulgan Gulch. We Gulgans are born sightless. However, we are endowed with the power of clairvoyance-we can glimpse into the future."

Luneth jumped back in. "Yeah, that's what we heard! We were hoping you could help us with our quest to find the four crystals! Well, three more. And Desch lost his memory! Can you help us?"

The Gulgan nodded, solemnly. "You'll want to see our elder in the middle of the gulch. Please continue, and do take a torch if you need it." He pointed to a stack of old torches, that were obviously never used.

They made their way further into the gulch, talking to different Gulgans as they passed. Desch wondered what gave them their gift at birth, and also their eye mutation. They all had a sort of red discoloration around their eyes, almost like a mask. He figured it was rude to ask, though. He listened as they talked of the crystals, and the impending doom that would come should the light warriors fail. And then one said something interesting.

"I sense the power of fire from the island of the dwarves…"

From there it was one vague direction after another. One person said the living wood was calling for them, and another said, "When the tower begins to crumble, spewing flames of doom, is when the man who changes destinies will awaken."

It wasn't much in the way of information, but from what they could gather, the Fire Crystal was somewhere on the island of dwarves. That was their first destination after this. That was until they made it to the center of the gulch, and met with the elder.

"Use this spell, and enter the Tower of Owen, to the north. Desch... Your destiny awaits. The Tower of Owen is filled with machinery… That is where Desch's destiny awaits.

Everyone was silent, and Desch blinked. Wait. _Him?_ "M-Me?" He looked around. "Wait, you know something about me?"

"Go to the Tower of Owen, and you will understand everything."

"I'll remember everything? How? I've seen familiar things before, but-"

"Desch," Refia took his arm. "Let's just go find out! They told us where to go, so you don't have to worry." She smiled.

Desch sighed, letting an anxious breath out. "O-Okay. If that's where my destiny is, then I have to go there!" He tried to sound confident, when really his mind was racing. Was it really that simple? How could he just _remember_ everything, by setting foot inside a tower?

He would just have to see.

#

"Gods, what is _that?"_

Luneth looked out over the ship's wheel at what seemed to be a large disturbance in the water. They were headed right for it.

Arc gasped. "That's a maelstrom! Turn left!"

Luneth just barely turned their course fast enough to save them from a very watery death. When they had all calmed down again, he spoke. "Why is there a maelstrom right in the way of where we need to go? We can't get to the dwarven island with that in the way."

"Look!" Refia pointed out over the water, towards the shore. "It's the tower!"

Desch raced to the bow, and stared. A tall tower loomed in the distance, surrounded by nothing on all sides. It was an odd architecture, unlike anything they had ever seen.

Except that Desch had seen it. Definitely.

"I've seen that before."

Refia beamed. "The Gulgans were right! You have some unfinished business here, it looks like."

Luneth huffed. "I still don't understand why they couldn't just _tell_ us."

Arc answered him, meekly. "Maybe it's better if Desch remembers on his own? _I_ wouldn't want someone just telling me all my forgotten memories."

Desch nodded, still staring at the tower. "I want to know…"

Luneth nodded. "Onward, to the Tower of Owen!"

Ingus scowled. "You can stop saying that."

"Never! ONWAAARD!"

Desch chuckled nervously. They always seemed to stay lighthearted, no matter what was in their way. He was glad to travel with them, and learn so much from them. Even if he was about to get all of his memories back, he was still grateful for all the new memories he made along the way.

Soon he could go back home to Salina. He smiled to himself.

#

Whatever calm he'd talked himself into fled the moment they stepping inside the tower doors. It was dank, the floor was covered in a pool of water, and there were frogs all over the place. Refia squirmed away from them. "Ew, can we hurry through here?"

Ingus scowled. He scowled a _lot._ "If we go deeper, there will only be more frogs. You should get used to them."

"Gross!" Refia hurried along in front of them. Desch didn't much like them either, so he stuck next to her.

Arc spoke up, flinching away from the frogs. "Didn't the Gulgans say something about needing a spell to get in here?"

Luneth lit up. "Oh yeah! Ingus, don't you have it?"

"I do… I don't think you're going to like it, though."

Luneth deadpanned. "It's not Mini again, is it?"

Arc stopped before running into Refia and Desch. "No… Mini wouldn't help us go underwater."

Ingus pulled the small scroll out of his belt and unrolled it, showing everyone the label at the top. It read 'Toad'.

Refia deadpanned. "What does that do?"

Ingus sighed. "It makes us… amphibious. We'll be able to dive down into that pool there."

Refia groaned. "You have _got_ to be kidding me! I can't be a toad!"

Desch wasn't happy about it either, but he was more worried about the ominous feeling he was getting. "He can change us back once we're clear of the water. Right?"

Ingus nodded, and Luneth agreed. "Okay, so we turn into frogs-"

"Toads!" Refia corrected him with particular malice.

"Toads, yeah. Then we turn back, and beat the crap out of whatever's down there!"

Refia argued again. "What makes you think there's going to be something to fight?"

Luneth looked confused. "There's _always_ something to fight!" He turned to Ings with a rather smugg expression. "You think you can handle the spell, Mr. I-Know-All-The-Spells?"

Ingus glared. "I know it well enough to leave you as a toad while I turn everyone else back."

Refia was nodding, and Arc wasn't coming to his rescue. Luneth decided to concede. "You make a valid point! Alright, hit me!"

And then, they were toads.

#

Ingus had mercy on Luneth, and allowed him back into human form along with everyone else when they got through the water. Desch examined the design to see how they could have gone underground through water, and come out somewhere without it, and found that he understood it. The mechanism of the entire tower made complete sense to him. It was as if he'd designed it himself.

The thought struck him. Had he?

He stared into space for a bit, and Luneth had to get his attention. "Desch? You're staring into space again. You okay?"

He'd seen something. In his head. Like a memory. But it was from long ago, a forgotten memory. It was just a flash, nothing he could make sense of, not just yet. He couldn't explain it to them if he tried. He shook his head. "I just… don't have a very good feeling right now."

Refia frowned in concern. "How come? IS it one of those familiar feelings?"

Desch nodded. "I feel like… something bad is going to happen." He didn't tell them he saw a flash of machinery, and fire, and someone he _knew_ he used to know.

Luneth nodded, serious for once. "Whatever it is, we can get through it. We've just got to keep moving, okay?" He led on, deeper into the tower's bowels. But before he could get far, Desch heard a booming voice call out from above, and he jumped.

"I welcome you to the Tower of Owen…. and your doom!"

All of them had jumped. Luneth yelled back. "Who are you? What do you mean by doom?"

The voice didn't answer, and he scowled. Then he turned to Refia, a smug look on his face. "I told you there'd be something to fight."

And of course, there were monsters. Who knew how long that tower had been there, festering? Monsters crowded every corner, and attacked out of fear and malice whenever the warriors came near. Desch had to really focus so he didn't get injured.

After a while of scouring every corner of a room for a door, they heard the voice again. It laughed, asking them if they were lost.

Luneth growled. "Show yourself! I'll show you who's lost!"

Desch cut in before Luneth did any damage. "Wait-There should be a switch somewhere, to open a secret passage."

Luneth raised an eyebrow at him. "How do you know?"

Desch frowned, He remembered building this place, with his own hands. He had help. He thought maybe, his father…? He frowned. "I helped build this tower."

Refia gasped. "Wait, you remember!?"

Desch nodded. "Every time I see something new, memories come back to me. We made it so only one of _us_ could find the way inside."

"One of 'us'?" Arc asked, frowning.

Desch's brow furrowed. Why was that important? He shook his head, focusing on his task again. He looked around, then strode towards an alcove in the wall with nothing in it. And he pressed on the wall, on one specific stone. It sank into the wall, and a loud _thunk_ told them that something unlocked before a part of the wall next to him sank into the floor, revealing a passage. He bowed and motioned towards the opening. "Ladies first?"

They climbed deeper and deeper, through hidden doors that were opened with secret switches-all of which Desch knew exactly where to find. It was surreal, to have this much knowledge about something he had no idea about an hour before.

He'd built this place along with his father. They had to build it because the Wrath of Light had come down upon them, and they were trying to bring balance to light and darkness again. It was very important that the tower stay maintained, lest the worst happen. Only their people could get inside, because he was one of the ones who built it.

The Ancients built the tower. He was an Ancient. His eyes widened at the realization.

They pushed through one last door into a room with a huge and blazing fire in the middle. Was that lava? And-was there someone here?

Luneth gasped. "You!" He pulled out his sword, ready for battle. The others were also on guard.

The inhabitant of the room chuckled darkly. "I, Medusa, will destroy this tower in the name of our lord Xande… and plunge these lands into eternal darkness!"

Luneth bared his teeth. "If you're dealing in darkness, you'll have to go through us!"

"Hih, hih, hih!" Medusa turned and revealed their grotesque face with snakes growing out the back of their head. "You cannot stop me! Prepare to die!"

Desch couldn't handle this all at once-the tower was failing, and this insane being was shouting about a god, and it was his fault it had gotten this bad because he'd forgotten to protect the tower-!

He pulled out his sword and fought with all his might. They needed every ounce of help that they could get with this fight.

#

It was a hard fight, and Luneth was badly wounded protecting Arc. Thankfully, Refia had taken to healing very quickly and he was standing again in no time at all. Desch had a deep gash on his arm, but he ignored it. He had to stop this, before it was too late. He stepped towards the boiler in front of him, feeling the heat of molten metal on his face.

Refia gasped. "Desch, don't get too close! I think the fire's going to blow up!"

He was scared. This could go horribly wrong. But if he was lucky, he could use his knowledge to navigate the core without being killed. But if he made one wrong step… He set his jaw, determined. He ha to do this. This is why he woke up.

"I remember… everything." Before the others could react, he turned to face them. "I'm the guardian of this tower, an 'Ancient', as you call us. I was asleep for a very long time… I was supposed to awaken when this tower was in danger." He rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly. "I guess I slept a little too long. It took me forever to remember my task."

The others just stared at him, probably in disbelief. He turned towards the core again. "The damage is extensive, but it's not too late. If the tower falls, the floating continent will be flung away from the sun. The negative effects on the inhabitants would be unimaginable. I'll go inside and try to stabilize the tower."

He turned around again, and looked into their eyes. They looked confused, and shocked. He didn't blame them. He felt that pain in his chest again, that pulling. He'd felt it with Salina, but in a different way. He winced at the thought of her. He'd promised to return as soon as he remembered everything. But… He had to do this first. And he might not survive.

"It looks like this is goodbye. I thank you for everything you've done for me. And… It was fun being with you guys. You taught me a lot."

Luneth was the first to recover. "Desch, no! You'll die if you go in there!"

Desch's chest pulled again. His eyes burned. He didn't want to leave. But he had to. If he waited any longer… He closed his eyes. "This is my destiny." He turned away again, making his decision final. "Go to the dwarves' island! That is where you'll find the power of fire!" He looked down at the floor clenching his jaw. "I won't forget you. Goodbye." And then he ran and jumped into the bowels of the tower. Just before he landed, he cast Warp on the others to make sure they made it outside safely.

The last thing he heard from them was Refia screaming his name.

* * *

 **A/N: I can't believe I thought Desch was dead for the entire rest of the game when I played this. What a giant tease. One more chapter, it looks like!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was liberating, finally remembering everything. It didn't exactly help him instantaneously fix the whole tower, however. He had to work fast, because once he fixed one thing, another would break. He would sit down to take a break, and then a few minutes later he would hear an explosion somewhere in the tower. It was madness.

He didn't know how long he worked on that tower. A day's work was a blink of an eye when compared to eternity, after all! He didn't sleep much, and he couldn't exactly go out to forage for food. It was a good thing he and Father had stocked the tower with non-perishables just in case something like this happened. Would the food go bad after so long? He preferred not to think about it.

Father... Why had he only put Desch to sleep? Desch knew the plan, sure. But he hadn't thought he would be the only one left. He'd thought others would be going with him.

He shook that thought from his head. There was no time to mourn. It was time to _work!_

A regular human would have been dead by then, with how hard he'd worked with so little rest. Not only that, but he was in the bowels of the tower, constantly in danger of being killed. He was just glad he was an Ancient. He supposed humans weren't as resilient as he was. That's why this was his job. So he kept working away, and away.

Until the explosions began to slow. He could rest for long periods of time in between things going wrong. The main reactor was beginning to stabilize. He was fixing it!

One day, nothing went wrong. Nothing broke. He didn't hear any creaking or explosions.

It was finally fixed.

He whooped for joy. "Hah-hah! Take that, forces of evil!" He looked around. How long had that taken? He had no way of knowing, really. He wondered where his friends were off to. Hopefully they were alright without him. He smiled to himself. With how they were progressing, he had no doubts that they were as strong as could be by then. They'd succeed in their quest, and the world would be saved.

Would it be saved forever? Would he be free of his duty to the Tower? He shook his head. Even if he was an Ancient, stopping the darkness was one thing his people hadn't known how to do. He would just have to wait and see. In the meantime, he wanted out of this tower! He climbed out as fast as his limbs could carry him.

What he didn't expect was to see was an old man up top, waiting for him. The man looked surprised. "Desch! You're alive!"

Desch blinked, brushing himself off. "Of course I am! Who are you again? I just finished repairing the main reactor! It was a really close call."

The old man nodded. "Excellent. Would you be willing to help your friends, the Warriors of Light?"

Desch's eyes widened. "They're in trouble? I was afraid of that. Count me in!" He did notice that the old man hadn't said his name, but that wasn't important right then! Onward!

#

Luneth and the others had made it all the way to the Crystal Tower. But they'd been stopped by the one and only Curse of the Wyrms. A low blow, Desch thought. He was warped there immediately, along with four other people who were pure of heart.

He almost chuckled. Him? _Pure?_ He wondered where they got that idea. He and the four others made short work of the curse, and the Warriors were freed at last. Luneth stumbled when he was finally able to move again. He looked around at the people around him. "Everyone! D-Desch, you're alive!"

Desch nodded towards the mirror. "Go defeat Xande! We'll wait for you here!"

Luneth nodded, then turned to his friends. "Come on, one last fight! Haaaaaaaah!" He charged into the mirror, his three friends following behind him.

Desch had never been more proud in his life.

#

That pride was crushed almost as soon as he'd felt it.

Through the mirror, they all saw the Warriors of Light defeat Xande. They thought it was over. That was until Xande fell, laughing maniacally, into the Cloud of Darkness that appeared.

Luneth and the others attacked. They never stood a chance.

"No!" Desch yelled as they fell. "Come on guys, hold on!" But he could feel it. They were gone…!

The two old mages with them made a choice then that Desch would never forget. They sacrificed themselves to save his friends, and save the world from darkness. It all happened so fast. Was that even possible? The two wisest beings were now lost to the Great Beyond.

They had no time to mourn, though. There wasn't anything else to do but wait for the Light Warriors to finally succeed. Desch believed with all his heart that they could win.

 _Please, friends._ He prayed. _Be safe. Come back to us!_

#

It was over.

It was finally over!

It had felt like a lifetime since he set out with these four. And his story was only a small part of the quest they had braved. He hadn't expected to ever see them again, even if he'd hoped. He was overjoyed that everything turned out so well, and that he could be a part of it. He had people he could call friends in this new world free of evil.

He had a home to go back to.

They made sure to make a big scene flying in over Canaan in their giant new airship. The townspeople were sure to all come out, and that meant Salina.

He was right. And when he saw her again, after all that happened… He ran. He ran up to her and kissed her in front of everyone.

He'd forgotten there were children present, so he pulled himself away, blushing. He couldn't help it! He loved Salina. He always had. And nothing that he had remembered since leaving had changed that. He joked that the warriors should come and pick him up any time they went adventuring, but he'd never just leave Salina. Not unless she was okay with it, of course.

Eventually the crowd calmed down and he was able to get Salina alone to answer her questions. She could hardly speak fast enough. "You remembered everything? Wh-What does… What does that mean? Did you find your family?" She seemed anxious.

Desch nodded, in response to the first question. "I found my memory. I'd forgotten a very important task, and I managed to complete it in time. And I don't think the Tower will need me again any time soon."

Salina bit her lip. "But… What about your home? Do you… want to go back?"

There were tears in her eyes. Desch winced. She had no way of knowing until he told her. "You don't ever have to worry about that. I could never leave you."

"But your family, you love them, right? They must have missed you!"

Desch frowned, sadly, holding her hands in his. "... I was asleep for a thousand years. Everyone I once knew is gone."

Salina's eyes widened in shock. "A thousand…?"

Desch chuckled humorlessly. "Don't worry, I was frozen in time. I'm not actually that old. I'm twenty-seven, if you want to know."

Salina shook her head, trying to clear the shock from her system. "You don't look twenty-seven…"

Desch smiled, sadly. "There isn't anything left for me. And even if there was… I could never leave you. You've made me the happiest man alive, and I'm never, ever letting you go." He wrapped his arms around her, tightly. Salina threw her arms around him and let him twirl her around, then kissed him again.

Desch loved kissing her. He loved everything about her. He made it a challenge to kiss her in every part of the town.

Epilogue

"You'd really never kissed anyone before? You were twenty-seven, and you'd never kissed a girl?"

Desch grinned in embarrassment. "I had crushes, sure! But I was always too busy with my work to… really do anything. I was also a bit shy."

"Well you're definitely not, now! You're completely different than shy!" Salina giggled at him.

Desch chuckled. "I think my newer personality pulled me out of my shell a little." He frowned, concerned. "You don't think I'm odd, now? I'd hardly the same person you first met."

Salina shook her head. "You're more of the same, I think."

Desch quirked an eyebrow, and she went on. "Just because you're more reserved, and maybe a little sarcastic sometimes doesn't mean you're a different person. You still have the same heart, and the same care for all beings. You have the same hopes and dreams. Our experiences help us grow, but we're still the same people after we're done."

Desch just stared. "You look beautiful when you talk about hopes and dreams."

She pushed him over in the grass and he laughed as she pouted at him. And later that day, he asked her to marry him, right in front of the apple stall. She said yes, of course.

Desch wasn't sure what was in store for him as the last living Ancient. He'd just have to wait and see. And he planned to enjoy his life to the fullest in the meantime.

And that concludes the story of Desch, your friendly neighborhood Ancient.

* * *

 **A/N: Did you enjoy the sappy ending? I am terrible at happy endings! Now the world has more Desch.**


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